The Reading / Listening - Sun Dimming - Level 4

Scientists have a new idea to save Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers believe that spraying "sun-dimming" chemicals high above the Earth could slow down global warming. They say this would be "remarkably inexpensive," costing about $2.25 billion. The technique is called stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It would need huge, high-powered hoses to spray chemicals into the stratosphere. This would be a barrier against sunlight.

The scientists said their idea is still in the planning stages. They said: "We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible." Some scientists think the idea is pie in the sky. They say special planes would need to make 4,000 missions a year across the globe's airspace. Over 100 governments would need to agree to this. It could increase droughts and extreme weather.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sun Dimming - Level 5 or  Sun Dimming - Level 6

Sources
  • https://science.slashdot.org/story/18/11/23/2016234/controversial-spraying-sun-dimming-method-aims-to-curb-global-warming
  • https://nypost.com/2018/11/23/sun-dimming-chemicals-could-solve-climate-change-on-the-cheap/
  • https://physicsworld.com/a/could-an-anti-global-warming-atmospheric-spraying-program-really-work/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Scientists have a new
  2. Geo-
  3. spraying sun-
  4. high above
  5. this would be remarkably
  6. high-powered
  7. spray chemicals
  8. a barrier against
  1. dimming chemicals
  2. into the stratosphere
  3. inexpensive
  4. idea
  5. sunlight
  6. engineers
  7. hoses
  8. the Earth

Paragraph 2

  1. still in the planning
  2. a hypothetical
  3. highly uncertain and
  4. be technically
  5. the idea is pie
  6. 4,000 missions a year across
  7. It could increase
  8. extreme
  1. possible
  2. weather
  3. in the sky
  4. droughts
  5. the globe's airspace
  6. deployment program
  7. stages
  8. ambitious

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have (1) ___________________ to save Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers (2) ___________________ "sun-dimming" chemicals high above the Earth (3) ___________________ global warming. They say this would be "remarkably (4) ___________________ $2.25 billion. The technique is called stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It (5) ___________________, high-powered hoses to spray chemicals into the stratosphere. This would be a (6) ___________________.

The scientists said their (7) ___________________ in the planning stages. They said: "We (8) ___________________ a hypothetical deployment program, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed (9) ___________________." Some scientists think the idea is pie in the sky. They say special planes would (10) ___________________ 4,000 missions a year across (11) ___________________. Over 100 governments would need to agree to this. It could increase (12) ___________________ weather.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistshaveanewideatosaveEarthfromglobalwarming.Geo-eng
ineersbelievethatspraying"sun-dimming"chemicalshighabovetheEa
rthcouldslowdownglobalwarming.Theysaythiswouldbe"remarkablyi
nexpensive,"costingabout$2.25billion.Thetechniqueiscalledstratos
phericaerosolinjection(SAI).Itwouldneedhuge,high-poweredho
sestospraychemicalsintothestratosphere.Thiswouldbeabarrieragai
nstsunlight.Thescientistssaidtheirideaisstillintheplanningstages.Th
eysaid:"Wesimplyshowthatahypotheticaldeploymentprogram,whil
ebothhighlyuncertainandambitious,wouldindeedbetechnicallypossi
ble."Somescientiststhinktheideaispieinthesky.Theysayspecialplane
swouldneedtomake4,000missionsayearacrosstheglobe'sairspace.O
ver100governmentswouldneedtoagreetothis.Itcouldincreasedroug
htsandextremeweather.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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